2. February 2010 by admin.

Thru June 30, 2010. 

PICkit 3 Debug Express (DV164131)
PIC18 Starter Kit (DM180021)
F1 Starter Kit (DM164130-1) 

Go to www.microchip.com/easy for details.

Posted in 8-bit, Debugger, PIC, Limited-time Offer, Microchip, Development Tool | 3 Comments »

11. January 2010 by admin.

From: http://www.qwikandlow.com/

As embedded microcontrollers reach into all corners of modern life, many applications can benefit from coin-cell battery power. Some benefits are reduced product size and cost, enhanced design simplicity, portability, and electrical isolation. Microchip Technology, the number one supplier of 8-bit microcontrollers in the world, is using their nanoWatt Technology features to achieve these benefits.This book explores how these features impact the design process. It employs the Qwik&Low board shown on the cover as the learning vehicle for the reader. The board is available as Microchip Technology’s Part No. DM183034. For purchase information, see http://www.qwikandlow.com/purchase/ This book introduces the reader to code writing for a microcontroller via a series of template files and using Microchip’s free version of their C compiler for their PIC18 family of microcontrollers. Free supporting tools are available at the author’s website, http://www.qwikandlow.com, including QwikBug, a debugging user interface for downloading code to the Qwik&Low board, running that code, and debugging it using a serial PC connection (via either a serial cable or a USB-to-serial adapter).About the author: John Peatman, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, is the author of six earlier textbooks (two from Prentice Hall and four from McGraw-Hill).

Posted in Debugger, Battery Power, Qwik&Low, Complier, 8-bit, Free Stuff, PIC, Books | 1 Comment »

20. September 2009 by admin.

Check out http://www.microchip.com/cfc/

Trade in your old development tool clunker for a new one from Microchip!

Announcing the “Cash for Clunkers” development-tool exchange program, offering you a cost-effective way to do your part for the environment and get better mileage with Microchip. After all, Uncle Sam isn’t offering the electronics industry any bailouts; so Microchip thought it would stimulate better designs by giving embedded engineers an attractive incentive to trade up for more sleek and modern development tools.

Microchip’s Cash for Clunkers program allows embedded designers who are tired of looking at the faded paint jobs on their old tools to exchange selected models from Microchip’s competitors for savings up to 30%—up to a $120—on select PIC® Microcontroller, memory and analog development tools (see Web site for details). But you’d better act fast—the program ends on October 30, 2009. Of course, Microchip will dispose of all exchanged competitor tools in an appropriate manner.

Move up to Microchip and send us your Atmel, TI or Freescale development tool** and receive up 30% off the following Microchip development tools:

·         Starter Kit for PIC18F

·         Starter Kit for PIC24F

·         Starter Kit for PIC24H

·         PIC32 Starter Kit

·         Starter Kit for Memory Products

·         PICkit™ 3 Debug Express

·         PIC18 Development Kit (includes PICkit™ 3)

·         MPLAB^® ICD 3 Evaluation Kit (Includes PICDEM™ 2 Plus)

·         MPLAB^® ICD 3 and Explorer 16 Kit

In addition, you will receive a 20% discount off any of Microchip’s analog development tools.

Simply complete the form to register for this promotion. You will receive a confirmation Email with details on how to return your tool back to Microchip and when you will receive your discount coupons. This form needs to be completed for each tool you wish to return as part of this limited-time offer.

Posted in 8-bit, Programmer, Debugger, PIC, 16-bit, Microchip, Limited-time Offer, 32-bit, Development Tool | 1 Comment »

17. August 2009 by admin.

Microchip PIC In-Circuit Debugger MPLAB-ICD1B from http://microcontrollershop.com/product_info.php?cPath=112_152&products_id=1856

Fully assembled and tested Microchip PIC In-Circuit Debugger and Programmer

This low-cost development tool providing real time emulation of the PIC16F87x microcontrollers with built-in ICD feature. The board is fully compatible with Microchip’s free MPLAB integrated development environment and is a complete lower-cost replacement of Microchip’s MPLAB-ICD1 In-Circuit Debugger. Note: Only MPLAB versions 5.40 and earlier support the ICD1.

As future device offerings become available, you simply download new software into the PIC-ICD1 at no cost and without the need of hardware upgrades.

Using Microchip’s proprietary In-Circuit Debug functions, programs can be downloaded, executed in real time and examined in detail using the debug features of MPLAB. Watch variables and breakpoints can be set from symbolic labels in C or assembly source code, and single stepping can be done through C source line, assembly code level, or from a mixed C source and generated assembly-level listing. PIC-ICD1 can also be used as a development programmer for PIC MCUs supported by MPLAB’s programming function.

PIC In-Circuit Debugger Features

• Real-time background debugging
• MPLAB IDE compatible (v5.40 and earlier)
• Firmware upgradable from PC
• Supports low-voltage MCUs (2.0 to 6.0 range)
• Diagnostic LEDs (Power, Busy, Error)
• Reading/Writing memory space & stack of target microcontroller
• Erase of program memory space with verification
• Freeze on Halt

This product does not ship with any documentation or software. It functions the same as Microchip’s MPLAB-ICD1, but uses a different PIC ICSP connector (top view). For a complete list of supported PIC microcontroller devices, see the release notes for your version of MPLAB. The newest versions of MPLAB do not support the ICD1. The latest version with ICD1 support is Version 5.40. You can also download the schematic diagram of this product for more information.

Ships from: USA
Leadtime: In stock

Posted in ICD, Microcontroller Pros Corporation, Debugger, MPLAB | 1 Comment »

1. June 2009 by admin.

Check out this PDF: http://techtrain.microchip.com/usmasters/DevToolPriceListMASTERs2009.pdf

If you haven’t been to MASTERs, it’s a 3-day conference that Microchip holds every year. They have a bunch of technical classes. I think last year, there was about 100 offered. I like it because you can spent time learning about new technology, but you can meet the designers in person and ask them questions, like “Why haven’tyou thought of this?”  Ha ha.

 Back to the discounts… MASTERs registration isn’t cheap, but the tools you can buy there are.  They usually offer tools up to 50% off. So if you need to stock your lab with new boards or software, it’s worth the trip to Phoenix. Even it’s 150 degrees in July.

Posted in HI-Tech, Demo Software, Prototyping, Debugger, MASTERs Conference, 8-bit, PIC, Microchip, Development Tool, Limited-time Offer, 32-bit, 16-bit, MPLAB | 1 Comment »

21. May 2009 by admin.

Piklab is an integrated development environment for applications based on PIC and dsPIC microcontrollers. The GNU PIC Utilities, SDCC, PICC, PIC30 toolchain, ICD2 debugger, PICkit1, PICkit2, PicStart+, GPSim and most direct programmers are supported.

Posted in C Programming, Debugger, SourceForge, GNU General Public License (GPL), 8-bit, PIC, Development Tool, dsPIC, 16-bit, MPLAB | 1 Comment »

30. April 2009 by admin.

Play the Fllying Chips Game at http://www.microchip.com.hk/quickneasy/ and win a variety of dev tool prizes!   

Posted in Programmer, Complier, Debugger, Just for Fun, Graphics, IDE, HI-Tech, Touch Sensing, Microchip, Development Tool, Limited-time Offer, Sweepstakes, USB, 8-bit, MPLAB | 1 Comment »

9. April 2009 by admin.

“MICROCONTROL’N APPS”   (formerally “Pic n Up the Pace”) is an intermediate level applications guide covering Microchip Technology’s PIC ® Microcontrollers. Serial communication as a means of transferring data between PIC microcontrollers and peripheral chips and also between two or more PIC microcontrollers is described. Use of the 93C46 serial EEPROM is detailed as an example. Since we live in an analog world, A/D and D/A are discussed with several methods illustrated for each. Conditioning signals from sensors with an analog voltage output is described. Interfacing PIC microcontroller-controlled systems with humans requires some math, binary to decimal conversion and vice versa, alphanumeric LCD interfacing and scanning keypads. Single wire serial communication with a PIC-controlled LCD module which can be built by the reader is included. A digital thermometer project brings these topics together as an example. The book also explains how to establish serial communication between a PIC microcontroller and a PC via a RS-232 conversion circuit and a terminal program. These techniques are used in a digital voltmeter/data logger experiment for uploading data to a PC for display plus graphing using a spreadsheet program. Moving up or down from the now familiar PIC16F84 to other devices is covered in detail so that you will easily be able to work with the new devices being introduced by Microchip. Finally, use of the Microchip in-circuit debugger (ICD2) is described. “Microcontrol’n Apps” gives the reader the tools to design, build, and debug intermediate level microcontroller-based instrumentation and systems. By David Benson (8-1/2 x 11 format, 437 pages, $44.95). 

Download the code from http://www.sq-1.com/srccode.html

Posted in Source Code, RS-232, SQUARE 1 ELECTRONICS, LCD, Debugger, Serial Communications, Books, PIC, 8-bit, MPLAB | 2 Comments »

19. March 2009 by admin.

Forest Electronic Developments’ in-circuit programmer for PICs operates on the PC USB port, requires no additional power supply and the programmer application runs under Windows XP and Vista. Operates on a simple 6 pin SIL connector and includes the FED In Circuit Debugger.Available with USB lead and plug, or with a USB socket so you can use your own lead.

PIC Key 2 is up to 10 times faster than the original PIC Key (but is fully compatible with it), uses an active debugging interface (which is much more reliable for In Circuit Debugging) and is 40% cheaper than the original PIC Key.

Posted in Forest Electronic Developments, Debugger, USB | No Comments »

8. February 2009 by admin.

The PIC32 Design Contest is giving away 5 UBW32s!

Descrioption from http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=8971:  Based on the work of Brian Schmalz, the UBW32 is a small development board for the new PIC32MX460F512L 32-bit CPU from Microchip. The UBW32 is breadboard friendly and includes all the external circuitry to get the PIC32 up and running. Power can be provided over USB or from an external source. It has 3 push buttons (Reset, and 2 user-defined buttons) and 5 LEDs (Power, USB, and 3 user defined LEDs). All of the 78(!) of the PIC32’s I/O pins are broken out. The board comes pre-loaded with a USB bootloader and special UBW firmware that accepts simple serial commands to control the various I/O functions.

If you have used a UBW or Arduino before and are frustrated by the lack of CPU power, lack of memory, lack of I/O pins, or lack of sophisticated software, the UBW32 is just what you are looking for! While only slightly more expensive than the 8-bit UBW, the UBW32 has significantly more I/O and CPU horsepower.

The UBW32 is also a very good stand-alone development platform for the USB PIC32 chip. It contains a simple to use USB bootloader so that you can write your own code and download it to the board without any additional programmer, tools, or software. If you need low-level debugging, you can also attach an ICD2/ICD3 or other PIC debugger.

The PIC32 chip is capable of doing USB OTG, USB Mass Store, USB Virtual Com Port and USB Host roles. There is a footprint on the bottom of the board for a USB connector that will allow you to plug any USB device into the UBW32. There is a jumper that allows you to power the VBUS 5V USB wire if you program your UBW32 to be a USB Host. (more)

Posted in SparkFun Electronics, Debugger, USB, Sweepstakes, 32-bit, Development Tool | 1 Comment »